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Do you share you knowledge to make the community and those who want to learn get better. We are at some trying times across the board and we all will need to come together to make it. Let's get trained and learn together . . Hat: @munitionsweaponstactical Shirt: @munitionsweaponstactical . . #learning #teaching #togetherness #steelsharpenssteel #fun #BGM #black #knowledge #range #wetrain #getthastrap #getactive #hardtokill #woodland https://www.instagram.com/p/CE6_AbPpqd-/?igshid=1020prblhszi5

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The right handgun to purchase...

By MJ Woodland

How do you know what the right handgun to purchase …..

Thank you Shawn, and to answer your question this is a topic that is commonly answered by friends, family, and salesmen alike.  Normally when someone gives advice on a firearm to purchase, it is normally personal preference you are hearing. If you were to ask me in my younger years my answer would be to get a Smith and Wesson. There is nothing I hold against the other brands of firearms just my personal preference and what I was taught in the past. Yes, everyone knows I am a big Smith and Wesson fanboy and as of right now have no desire to change that.

Shawn, if you are looking to find the right handgun my suggestion would be to go to a reputable firearms dealer and ask to hold a view firearms that spike your interest. If you like how the gun feels in your hand, that is just the first part of discovering the right handgun to purchase. The second part would be to see if that firearm dealer has the capabilities to allow you to fire the same model. Just because the firearm feels good in your hand does not mean you will feel the same way after the shot goes off.

After getting the feel for a few different makes and models and taking them to fire, your decision should be easier to make. Just be cautious of certain firearm dealers who attempt to sale more of a certain kind of firearm due to the incentive deals they get from a certain number of sales. Follow your heart and feel what is right for you. Do not be so quick to just get a firearm and in a few weeks you are not happy with your purchase.

Do some research on the internet, look for some features that stand out to you for example, one of the deciding factors for me is to purchase a handgun without a safety. Remember my experience level is very different from yours, and this decision is made more from the aspect of competition shooting. Find some features that will make you’re deciding factor a beneficial purchase.

Thank you for all those who follow and support the M-W tactical Facebook page, if you haven’t done so look us up on Facebook and hit the like button and join in the many discussions that are taking place. We are trying to reach our goal of 2,000 likes before the end of the year, tell your buddies to get on Facebook and hit the like on the M-W Tactical Facebook page. If you are more into photos, follow me on Instagram at mjwoodland where you can get an up close and personal involvement of my daily life and involvement at a shooting range. If you would like to read more about us do so by going to www.M-Wtactical.com where you can easily connect with us on any of the previously mentioned social platforms while looking at pictures, viewing future classes, emailing us, or even listening to the current week of the Black Man With A Gun podcast. For those who want a more direct approach, just call us at 803-250-1256 leave a message and we will get back to you so we can discuss whatever is on your mind from shooting classes or just inviting us to come out to your upcoming event.

Until next time……..Keep shooting……Keep practicing ……and have fun……

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Best Ammo for limited funds...

by MJ Woodland

What is the best Ammo to have when your funds are limited…

This was a question from a friend of mine named Ira out of Charlotte, NC. To answer your question your options are limitless. Normally when people come to my classes and their firearms are having numerous malfunctions, 9 times out of 10 it is the brand of ammo they decided to use. This is nothing more than the person not knowing the difference in brands, or just trying to stretch a dollar to get training. Never purchasing any ammo that would cause my weapons to malfunction, my research lead me to a number of brands that never gave me any issues while training or shooting competitions. The one brand I would always suggest to those who do not have the funds to purchase the higher brand of ammo would be UMC. Having limited funds when I first began shooting competitions I would be to go to Wal-Mart and purchase a box of UMC ammo and get 250 rounds for under $80 at that time. That box would take me through the match of the day, with a little bit left over to work on some slow fire drills later in the week.

Last week we talked about dry firing, and this is another way I kept my training going without spending money on ammo. This was a cheaper approach to reaching to my desired goal, at the same time pinching the pennies to stay effective at the competitions. Adding a variety of drills while you dry fire, will add to your performance being enhanced with live rounds. For instance, concentrating on the front site and pulling the trigger straight back was more of a challenge for me especially when you add in running and walking into the equation. Taking notice on how repeating the drill over a number of times would build a pattern that later become second nature, this bit of training had me focusing more on just walking or running instead of pulling the trigger.

So to answer your question, do a little research on the ammo you think will serve your purpose, throw in some dry fire drills, and get the most out of the ammo quantity you have to keep your time on the range a discovery of betterment with the dedicated time you spent on practicing. Before you know it, you will be keeping up with your buddy at the range who puts in the more time with the various shot patterns on target compared to your well-aimed shot groups.

Tune in next week as we tackle another area of marksmanship for another Tips and review segment

Thank you for all those who follow and support the M-W tactical Facebook page, if you haven’t done so look us up on Facebook and hit the like button and join in the many discussions that are taking place. If you are more into photos, follow me on Instagram at mjwoodland where you can get an up close and personal involvement of my daily life and involvement at a shooting range. If you would like to read more about us do so by going to www.M-Wtactical.com where you can easily connect with us on any of the previously mentioned social platforms while looking at pictures, viewing future classes, or emailing us. For those who want a more direct approach, just call us at 803-250-1256 and let’s discuss whatever is on your mind from shooting classes or just inviting us to come out to your upcoming event.

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Dry Fire....

by MJ Woodland

One of the first things I notice in the classes I teach from M-W Tactical outside of safety is that the new shooter wants to show the instructors that they can shoot fast… but after a few drills and a better understanding they realize that they can be throwing their shots and at the same time instilling bad habits that are to become second nature. With time and practice speed will come but most importantly accuracy will follow.

Dry fire is something you can do every day for as little as five minutes. I personally dedicate about 30 mins to an hour daily on dry firing alone. The best part about dry firing is that it’s free. Because you do not have any bullets to go train, or the winter cold is keeping you from going outside….dry fire can be another choice for you to continue to build your skill level.

When I conduct dry fire drills I prefer to not have a magazine in the firearm, only because that alleviate any possibilities of a round going off due to not paying attention to my actions. With dry fire you are practicing the same skill as if you are actually shooting without the bang and recoil. The only difference is that you can correct a lot of bad habits and reinforce good techniques. One thing I like to do when doing dry fire drills is to balance an empty casing of the same caliber on the front sight, then pull the trigger. If done correctly, this drill will reinforce that you are conducting all the fundamentals needed to get a well-aimed shot off. If the casing happens to fall off the front sight, its ok… do a self-evaluation to discover why it fell off and attempt to do the drill again without the case falling. This also can be done with two people where one is the assistant or coach. The role of the coach is just as important as the shooter conducting the drill. The coach can put the casing on the front sight then observe how the shooter is pulling the trigger, watch their breathing, and their stance.

Remember that you want your pull on the trigger to be smooth every time. Do not pull the trigger with a stop and go motion. If you keep it smooth with every pull and reduce the movement of the firearm, not only will the casing not fall off the front sight post…but speed and accuracy are being developed and you are not even noticing it. This technique also works with AR platform rifles with the inclusion of placing a cleaning rod in the barrel with a portion sticking out from the muzzle break, then take a dime and balance it on the cleaning rod. Unlike the handgun, you can perfect this skill with your AR platform rifle either in the prone supported or unsupported position.  

Visit us on Facebook by searching for M-W Tactical in the search bar, on Twitter @mjwoodland, and Instagram screen name mjwoodland.  Let us know what questions you may have. If you would like for me to come to your area and teach the techniques I talk about on the podcast I contribute to, visit us at M-W Tactical.com and look at our course descriptions and send a note from the Contact Us page or call me at 803-250-1256 and tell me what you are seeking to do and let’s get you and your group trained.

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Fishing vs Bowling

by MJ Woodland

Today we are going to discuss pulling your firearm out your holster. To many this seems like a easy process but when you actually take the time to analyze yourself or have someone view your actions you will be surprised how many new shooters are either doing a least preferred technique called fishing or bowling.

When pulling the firearm out of the holster the transition should be a deliberate action of lining the sights up with your target without searching for the front sight. When fishing takes place, it appears the handler is moving the firearm in the manner which appears they are using a fishing rod or bringing the sights from the top to their line of sight. This motion takes up vital time by searching for the front sight and lining the rear sights with the front.

When bowling takes place, it appears the handler is moving the firearm in the manner which appears to they are bowling or bringing the sights into your line of sight from the bottom.

The more preferred technique is while keeping your eyes on your intended target, bring the firearm straight out where you can start seeing the front sight with your peripheral vision and start aligning the sights as you are still moving the firearm in the final extension of your arms.

With continuous practice going very slow this will eliminate the acts of bowling and fishing as you reprogram yourself to acquire the intended target shorting your time to search for your sights.

Tune in to the Black Man With A Gun podcast next week as we will discuss finger placement on the trigger.

Visit us on Facebook by typing in M-W Tactical in the search bar and let us know what questions you may have to improve your shooting. Until next week……..Keep shooting……Keep practicing ……and have fun....

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Training classes....Let's Get It!!!

by MJ Woodland

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a HET 1 course taught by Chris Costa. This three day course is one that will have you finding your limits, and finding areas to analyze yourself as well. Self analyzing your capability within a structured class can be very beneficial.

We all know who Chris Costa is right? He’s the same guy who was a lead instructor along with Travis Haley on the Magpul instructional DVD's. Other than the DVD's, I did not know where Chris Costa’s fame came from. As for me, it started in Afghanistan in 2011 looking for some new movies from the soldiers. Yes, we all had movies on a hard drive, but this one Soldier said to me with all smiles, "Sergeant I got a video I know you will like..." After downloading the Magpul video on my hard drive I went to my tent and was in amazement with how the instructions flowed versus “do it like this.” From that point on, I was determined to get into one of these courses.

Now let's fast forward to April 3, 2015 for the first day of the HET 1 course held in Tuscaloosa, AL.  After pulling into the range and sitting in my vehicle for a bit, a black Dodge Charger with tinted windows pulls up, and out of the passenger side jumps the beard himself, Chris Costa. At this point, everyone sitting in their cars were now gathering paperwork and gear, and heading under the overhang where the bleachers were located.  As I finished getting my gear together, I turned around and there was Chris Costa standing in my presence with an extended hand, and a humble greeting of “Thank you for coming to the course and where are you coming from?” My reply was “Three hours away in Georgia,” and then Mr. Costa gracefully made his way to the to the next group of guys. After all the paperwork was collected, there was a round robin of who you are and what you are seeking from this course. After the range brief it was time to start throwing lead down range under Chris Costa’s instruction.

From the first moment of instruction, he gives you a mindset class, and you see the light bulbs coming on. Chris is a funny guy and his joking is in good taste, keeping the morale high within the class. I would have been more prepared with better comebacks if my buddy, who previously went through this course, had told me about Chris’ humor. Yes, Chris and I were joking on each other, but he took the belt this time. After all the drills and the conclusion of the first day, I was mentally drained to the point where I knew this course was on point.

The start of day two was just as pleasant as the previous day. The atmosphere was a little more at ease and more students started to interact with each other. The drills started and I took notice of how Chris was paying attention to me, so I was guessing he was going to challenge me to a shoot off. That was not the case, but he was taking notice of me doing something wrong. He walked over to me and asked me to shoot his gun, and the wow factor that went through my trigger finger to my brain was “this is the Bugatti of handguns.” Not really, but his Glock was tuned in and shot very well. He discussed with me something not going right within my handgun. Since I had a secondary firearm, the M&P VTAC was up to bat, and now Sally (M&P 9mm) has to go to the hospital for repairs, leaving the remainder of the course to be shot with the VTAC. Like on day one, the training atmosphere was great, and I found myself really down on the joke point scale, with Chris up by two. He really does have a great sense of humor.

Day three started out with the class ensuring everyone was present, and I noticed how a few students appeared to be drained, including myself. The class started off with a few drills that took place from various distances. We went on to command call drills where Chris would call out a number, and that was the target you needed to shoot in your lane. Then a few jokes were thrown out followed by more drills. Lunch was the time where some grabbed a bite to eat and others took a nap, but my time was used to think about future moves and speak with Chris more. After lunch we went on to buddy team fire where you shoot, move, and communicate while applying everything you learned from the previous two days. Our class ran through three different courses and each one had you thinking in the process. Once again there were more jokes and trivia thrown out, but I could never come back quick enough on Chris. I vow to win the next session of joking when I go to his HET 2 course.  

Overall, the HET 1 course, sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Police Department and taught by Chris Costa, was a class that had students leaving with new tools in their kit bags. Regardless of how many years you have been shooting, or how good you think you are, there was something that could have been reflected on that may have raised a flag within. The impact of the course is not Drill Sergeant driven, but more of a gentlemen's course that targets your weakness in relation to shooting. If you get the opportunity to train, TAKE IT, but do your research on the instructor and check their credentials. Chris Costa is a highly recommended instructor that is known nationally and has credentials to validate.

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We have new shirts for sale, call or us at 803-237-3344 or visit www.M-Wtactical.com and get yours today for $15... #MonstersCrew

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Do you have a round in the chamber or not when you conceal carry...

by MJ Woodland

How many of you conceal carry a semi automatic handgun, or have friends or family members that do? After knowing this, have you ever wondered their stand point of why they carry, or the amount of training they had with the firearm? Now a question with a twist; how many of you keep a round in the chamber or prefer to charge your firearm when the time is needed? This was a conversation a fellow soldier and I had a few weeks ago; it was interesting but I was in total awe.

A few weeks ago I was honored to be a participant in the Marksmanship Master Training Course held at Ft. Benning, Georgia. This is a course put together by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit to get everyone in the military who has anything to do with marksmanship instruction to be on one accord instead of putting out bad info, and also to debunk some myths all relating to shooting. One day while on break a question was asked to me from SFC Scarborough of Ft. Hood. He asked "When you conceal carry, do you keep one in the chamber or not?" Automatically, I knew this would be a good conversation (or a debate with others listening in on our words). My response was, "Always carry one in the chamber, not having one in does not compute with me." My reason for saying this is easy, that is how I train. SFC Scarborough responded by stating that he does not feel safe with a round in the chamber, but that is how he trains. Now my thoughts are really trying to make sense of this, but then again, training prepares you for a serious encounter... right? Again my thoughts lead me to multiple past experiences in relation to a firearm as well as mentally putting myself in a position where manually I have to put a round in the chamber under a situation of stress and a deadly threat.  Even walking the streets of Baghdad, Iraq we kept one in the chamber. There were a number of people who joined in the conversation and the mix of what they do or what is "correct" was evenly divided. The one point being made when was when the firearm is pulled out is that enough time to charge the handgun putting a round in the chamber in which I did not agree with. My response was more scientific than reason, but stating something I have seen and experienced firsthand. Adrenaline and stress cause people to react in different ways, but now add in a complex real world situation where you have to pull out your firearm and pull the trigger. This same conversation started by me with a select number of buddies with whom I normally hang with. Their conversation took a different spin. The mindset was more aggressive and in aggreance with my initial response. In the event there is a reason where the firearm has to be engaged for your safety, I would prefer to be in a situation where my firearm is ready to fire, and my focus is more on the situation of changing the behavior of the threat versus having to get my firearm in a state of readiness. Time and space are your friend when a threat presents itself, so isn't performing fewer steps with a concealed firearm better under a stressful situation? In my opinion the safe factor is to train with your firearm more than twice a year, but carry as you train. My tip is to keep one in the chamber.

This was a friendly conversation between two Soldiers sharing a common interest.  From past training events that I was a part of, it was proven that a person can run at you from twenty-one feet and grab you or the firearm before you pull the trigger. A thought might sound good until you put it through a test and see if works. If not it is time to go back to the drawing board.

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M&P vs Glock / M&P or Glock

by MJ Woodland

How many of us have debated which is better? There are those who don't know, and those without opinion.  Well let's dive in deeper and find out what others think and compare the results. All of my friends know that I preach M&P, and owning a few is evident of that. Don't get it wrong, when I first shot a Glock, my reaction was pure amazement. The first time I fired a Glock was while deployed to Afghanistan, and I was awarded the German Schutzenner. This is nothing more than a foreign award that American Soldiers can wear on their uniform after showing proficiency with the German Army weapons. There is a laser training aid from the guys at Next Level Training that houses a Glock, which is my possession. For me it was never a question of which was the ultimate gun between the two. My reason for not leaning more to Glock is the grip is made too thin for my taste, as well as not being particularly fond of the sight system, or the limited beaver tail on the rear of the grip. A few Soldiers who serve with me say the opposite, and I have to respect their decision.  When you run the two side by side, there is really a slight variance that separates the two. My brothers in arms who are partial to Glock say different.  SGT Stephens from Ft. Campbell stated that he favors Glock for its thinner grips because he has smaller hands; it gives him that hold he feels comfortable with. SSG Scarborough from Ft Hood stated he liked the simplicity of how Glocks operate overall. Once again, my stance on the topic has always leaned towards it's a personal preference. With the advancement of technology, the major gun manufacturers are all running neck and neck with features. Is it fair to take the challenge out off the product and more on the operator? This should be an interesting topic among your friends. For all my followers, be safe and keep training moving forward.

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Catalyst MOD 1 Magazine Release Extender

For those of you who follow my feeds on Facebook and google+, you know there is a big event called the Alabama Sectionals that I will be participating in. For the past year of shooting within the USPSA, there have been a few lessons I have learned from the rules of the sport, as well as learning about myself. One important factor was learning my weapon system, and incorporating enhancement features to minimize my times. So far, changing out my trigger and stippling my gun helped out tremendously, but now I’m putting the extended magazine release to the test to see if this will help or not.

From my years in the military, there has always been measures of watching different leaders and Soldiers who bring all the new gadgetry in attempts to mark a new SOP in the company. Sometimes it worked, and other times it didn't, but good ol’ common sense never fails when dealing with Murphy’s Law. I like to keep things simple and in order to get my shot times down that is what is needed.  The  K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Soldier) concept. Soldier is to take the place of another word, but I will keep it simple...lol. Having larger hands gives me the ability to easily reach the stock magazine release. So why add the extended magazine release you ask? From my time in the military, there were a few times when my hand was broken. While shooting in competitions, my attention was given to how I almost roll the gun to make pressing the magazine release a bit easier. Normally when this takes place, my actions incorporate both hands. Then again it's all about being safe.

This extended magazine release from 21st Century Gunfighter only took about five minutes to change out from the stock. From the moment this new magazine release was intact, this enhancement made manipulating the magazine release easier without any assistance from my non firing hand. That extra protrusion that comes already stippled made that much of a difference. After running a few drills to see how this new protrusion will work, I was happy with my original thought that this simple improvement adds a great deal of value for those who are in competition or just in the sport of shooting.

The M&P Catalyst MOD 1 is a tool of enrichment that left me with a smile on my face. The catalyst is defined as something that initiates a process or causes change with lesser amounts of energy or effort. By far this is a true statement. With the 21st Century Gunfighter M&P Catalyst MOD 1, I’m in a position of having that much more of an edge to keep my times as low as possible, but as always, time will tell. Follow me on social media to find out what will take place at the 2015 Alabama Sectionals.

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It's time for some upgrades....

by MJ Woodland

How many of you thought about doing some enhancements to your firearm? How many of you are scared to move forward with any enhancements that could better the overall experience because you are waiting for a review of such products? Don't feel bad, there are a lot of people who think along the same lines, and I am even guilty of doing this from time to time.

Back in December 2014, while participating in a IDPA match in Valdosta, GA, I took some notice in the areas I could improve on. Of course there were all kind of thoughts that crossed my mind, wondering how I could achieve at least becoming .25 seconds faster either on the trigger and changing the magazines. From that day on there were countless hours of dry firing and magazine changing drills. My trigger pull did not get any better; but in my opinion it seemed like I plateaued on the trigger but my changing of the magazine did improve slightly. After the classifier match that took place in January 2015, my determination to take it back to the drawing board. Having a camera out to video my performance the mishaps were seriously noticed on my behalf (I am my hardest critic, the mishaps were not that bad). Conversation with various other competitors and the gray beards of the sport led me to think more outside the box to get better results. My thoughts had me thinking of the gearing of a manual sports car. For those who can follow this will make sense. If you have a base model Mustang drive it for a while and take notice how long the pull is when you shift from first gear to second gear. Now do the same thing with a Mustang GT and you will notice a extreme difference with how short the pull is from first gear to second gear and so forth. I want to start off with replacing the the reset pin and see how much this will improve my shooting versus keeping the gun stocked, and at the same time replace the factory magazine release with a extended magazine release. This protrusion of the extended tab will have to shave off some time with changing the magazine, right? Everyone that is shooting is looking for that bit of a tactical advantage to make their times get to the lowest point as possible. This is going to be my personal test to help others determine what choices they can make when they want to upgrade their firearms without breaking the bank.

The Apex R.A.M (Reset Assist Mechanism) and a Apex Polymer Action Enhancement Trigger were sent to me to test out, and give some feedback. It was also brought to my attention that the MOD 1 magazine extender was out of stock, so no luck there. For starters, I could not use the Apex R.A.M in my Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm for the reason the R.A.M only works in certain sear blocks. If you go to the Apex Tactical youtube channel this will be explained. Since I was disappointed in not being able to use the R.A.M. my focus is now directed to installing the new trigger. This was a simple installation that took about 20 minutes only because this was my first time performing this type of work on a firearm. After the install, I was in total amazement. From the first dry fire test it was a new feel that had me thinking something was wrong at first. So then the slide was removed again and a visual inspection of all the moving pieces were conducted. After seeing all the pieces were moving as they should, the slide was put back on the frame and a two hour session of dry firing took place. Still hesitant to putting rounds through the gun, I decided to take the firearm with the new Apex trigger to a friend of mine who works at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit to get his take on it. He did a couple of dry fires and said it was good to go. Now it is time for the ultimate test to see how this gun actually performs under the clock.

Now let's fast forward a week and it is the next USPSA match that took place on 15 February 2015. This was a cold day but that was not going to be a factor to stop me from putting bullets down range. The first stage there was instant feedback on how the gun was performing but like any well oiled machine, it was time to turn it up and push it to the limit. So the next couple stages that is what was done, my focus was to allow the gun to perform flawlessly with this new Apex trigger. After that second stage my thoughts took me to thinking how will the Aluminium Action Enhancement Trigger performs compared to the Polymer Trigger. I'm pretty sure if this trigger allows this much performance the Aluminum trigger will be the more dynamic version. This day had me wanting to shoot more because this trigger gave me that feeling of having a new gun, but then again it is my opinion the more you shoot the stock trigger it gets better with time. Now with this new trigger I am pretty sure it will continue to get better with each trigger pull.

With the installation of this new trigger it has given me the performance advantage in which I was looking for. That gritty feel everyone talks about with the stock M&P triggers were never a bother to me, but a tool which I referenced while shooting. With this new Apex Polymer Action Enhancement Trigger my reset point has a distinct feel that lessens the pull which feels like millimeter movements that I am sure gave me that .25 seconds advantage I was looking for.

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Just having some fun in the USPSA....

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New Year Big Ouput...Let The Fun Begin!!!

by MJ Woodland

For the past couple of weeks we have been doing some serious planning. We are in the mindset that this is the year for M-W Tactical to take off bigger than last year. We are doing a series of contests for the viewers and fans, from shooting to just appreciation. The new shooting season is upon us, and this means the start of great things to come.

M-W Tactical would like to expand their shooting classes to various surrounding areas. We are asking for donations to assist us with getting more equipment such as steel plates, cardboard targets, paper targets, colored tape to reuse the targets, and various supplies to keep a class going. If you would like to assist in supporting us with a monetary donation, you can click on the gofundme tab to the right of this article or visit http://www.gofundme.com/mjwoodland17 and give your donation. We thank everyone who has already donated.

We have our YouTube channel up and running now. Please check it out and tell us what you think. This is a new challenge to us as we are learning to make videos, edit videos, and produce videos all in the same breath. We are about to introduce some new intros that we created from scratch and try to find the perfect viewing intro for M-W Tactical. Sounds like a contest in the works....something to think about. For those who missed the first podcast interview of Michael Woodland, you can catch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3VIR8Q_6Jg and be sure to give me your thoughts on it. The interview was layered with different pics of Michael Woodland at various locations shooting.

For you social media savvy practitioners we also have a Google plus page you can visit. This page will be sharing some of the same information that is on our Facebook page. These two pages will be the place where you can come see new pics and information going on with M-W Tactical. We are about to start branching into product reviews. If you know a business who has products that can be related to a tactical or shoot aspect, please feel free to direct them to us so we can give you a first class review on the product. This approach will take place as it did when we would get new equipment in the military. We would try it out, then we will look for ways to make it better for use. Contact us at mwoodlandtactical@gmail.com for more information on how we can review your products.

We at M-W Tactical do believe in training and performing to the best of our capabilities. At the same time we have to look at our equipment to make this happen. We use a laser training aid that is very helpful in more ways than one. The Next Level SIRT and LASR training package gives us the ability to almost turn the living room and office into a shooting range with a laser applied training aid. We will be doing a video review of the product and share with everyone how we have hours of fun training in the comfort of the living room. Also we will be talking about internal modifications on the competition and conceal carry gun that I use. My theories are pretty interesting, and so far have been proven true among friends. Check back and watch this product review on the M-W Tactical YouTube channel and read about it on the M-W Tactical blog about what will take place inside of the firearm that I shoot competition and conceal carry.

There are a couple events that have me pretty excited with the start of this new shooting season. The USPSA classifier took place on 10 January 2015 in Phenix City, AL. These results will be published by 10 February 2015 since the USPSA website has been down for a couple weeks for maintenance. The U.S. Army Small Arms Competition is taking place 1-7 February 2015 at Ft. Benning. As of right now, I am on reserve status pending a slot opens up. I have my fingers crossed so I can participate in this competition against other shooters across the Army. Remember, I came in seventh place over all and took first place in the Bolt Action Divsion in the U.S. Army Long Range Competition back in September 2014, and I'm interested to see how I place in the Small Arms Competition. 13-14 March 2015 is the Alabama Sectional taking place at the East Alabama Gun Club located in Phenix City, AL. This is the main match that I have been talking about for some time. I have been practicing everyday preparing for this match. Good luck to all the participants in the Alabama Sectionals coming up in March 2015. That takes us to the month of April 2015 where I will be doing some training in the the Tuscaloosa Alabama Police Department. The catch to this training is that it will be taught by the beard man himself, Chris Costa. For those of you who do not know who Chris Costa is, it started with Magpul with the DVD collection of "The Art of Shooting"series. I will be taking this course and bringing back a vast array of knowledge from a different style of shooting and incorporating this within the classes taught by M-W Tactical.

We are also hosting a 300 yard shooting challenge that will be taking place 31 January 2015 at the East Alabama Gun Club. This challenge is nothing more than a chance for those who follow M-W Tactical to win a 'MonstersCrew' shirt and a shirt from one of our sponsors, Enlisted 9 Fight Company. We are talking with our other sponsors as well to see what they are willing to donate to make this a more than worthwhile package deal for the winner of the challenge. So here are the rules for this challenge. Either go to the Facebook page or Google plus page and look for the post that talks about the challenge (<--or click the blue line). Comment under that feed and tell us how many attempts you think it will take me, Michael Woodland, to hit steel at 300 yards with his Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. This firearm has not been modified in any way other than cosmetically (Stippling of hand grip, colored in the etched in lettering, and coloring in the original sights). We are still working out the details where we can host a live video chat on YouTube and announce the winner.

M-W Tactical has 'MonstersCrew' shirts for sale for $16. These shirts are made of 100% cotton and are very comfortable on the skin. Get yours today with secured ordering at http://www.m-wtactical.com/#!shop--cart/c1rxi, but there is one catch when you receive your shirt....we ask that you send us a pic of you wearing your 'MonstersCrew' shirt in whatever activity you are participating in or just take a pic of you in your shirt taking a selfie.

As you can see the start of the new year has been and will be very productive for M-W Tactical. We would like to keep that momentum going but want it to get bigger in the process. If you haven't done so yet, visit our social media links and either like or subscribe and follow us on this journey through 2015. Please if you can donate to http://www.gofundme.com/mjwoodland17 so we can help those who are not afforded the opportunity to shoot. Thank you for your support and we would like to hear from you.

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Added Training...It makes us all better

by MJ Woodland 

So many put emphasis on the many aspects of shooting. The question often heard debated is: What makes a shooter? This will be answered at the end of this article. Plenty of times it is said, especially by me, dry fire will be your key to success. This is a true statement, but after my last competition, there was a matter that caught me off guard although my performance still pulled through. Changing out magazines. 

After my last USPSA match there were two stages where I forgot to load all of my magazines. Normally, my system is to load after every stage I complete. This time in particular, my buddy and fellow MonstersCrew member, Jason aka Sandbag, decided he wanted to attend a match to see what was taking up the majority of my time nowadays. The reason for this mishap was that I was too busy explaining the rules to him, and I neglected to load one magazine on one stage and two magazines on another. This mishap led me to start thinking about doing reload drills more than I normally would. As of recently, the incorporation of this drill has been added to my nightly practice. My routine still goes on with two hours of using the LASR progragm, thirty minutes of dry fire with an empty casing, and now thirty minutes of magazine drills to work on speed. 

This drill encompasses both my competition production Smith & Wesson 9mm and the Next Level Training simulated Glock 17 that is operational minus a working slide. With the LASR program I run target transition drills with a reload as if I were actually on the range. To get used to the movement that is better for competition, I set up over my couch with loaded magazines in my Smith & Wesson. Not racking the slide in any way, I just focus on pulling a magazine from my belt line to insert in the firearm. The couch is used for nothing more than to catch the magazine before hitting the ground with live rounds. The added weight could damage the magazine when hitting the ground repetitively. 

In conclusion, my thought process leads me to believe that constant drilling will lead to better performance. This is something that is proven with anything we do. In my case, incorporating magazine drills into my training will help me become that much better of a shooter. Realizing that a lot of time is spent when we slow down to change a mag, it is my thoughts that lead me to practice more to eliminate a slowing down process when changing out magazines. In order to be looked at as the all around shooter, you really have to focus on all aspects of shooting. Only you can decide what will make you the all around shooter. Regardless of who you are, our strong and weak points are on a different platform. Take the time to make your craft that much better.

We will be closing down shop over the holiday and returning back on 6 January 2015, we at M-W Tactical is wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Footage of me earlier in the year competing in a USPSA match and participating in a AMU SDM course. Just a compilation of a week of my life, another video coming soon...#MonstersCrew

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SIRT and LASR computer program…Next Level Training!!!

by MJ Woodland

For some time now my search had me looking for other means of training that can enhance my ability on the range. This search led me to the S.I.R.T. handgun and the L.A.S.R computer program that has my training on a different level, all within the comforts of my home. This search led me to one of my favorite drills of putting an empty casing on the front sight post of my handgun, and the pull of the trigger can tell you if you are correct or not. Bottom line, if the casing stays on the front sight you have done all the fundamentals correctly, but if the casing falls off then you have done something wrong (with repetition you discover what are you are doing wrong). My search has led me to a S.I.R.T. (Shot Indicating Resetting Trigger) which had me doing all day training with vast results to show. My order was that of a SIRT and the L.A.S.R. (Laser Activated Shot Reporter). When the package arrived in the mail it contained one SIRT pistol, two weighted training magazines, five 1/6 scale IPSC targets, five 1/6 scale popper targets, and information on how to download the L.A.S.R. program. We are going to discover the pros and cons of me using this training aid for the past seven days. All items discussed in this write up were purchased by me and I was in no way coerced into writing this article. 

First we are going to discuss everything that I deem to be a negative with this system. Before anyone goes into griping about the setup, we already know there is no real recoil associated with the SIRT training pistol. It is a training aid that has the size, feel, and weight of a Glock 17, but it only shoots out a laser. There are ways you can simulate recoil if you desire, as discussed in the videos associated from the L.A.S.R team; they express that you can take an empty water bottle and hit the front of the training firearm to simulate recoil. The other negative issue concerning me with the S.I.R.T training handgun is that it is not a Smith & Wesson. Yes I am more of a fan of Smith & Wesson, but I have spoke with Sean at Next Level Training and he ensured me that they were putting on the finishing touches of a Smith & Wesson training aid. This is said to come out sometime around the end of January 2015 according to Sean. 

The positive factors associated with this training tool can go on for days, but I will focus on what I believe to be the more important ones. The first topic we will cover is the program from L.A.S.R. and how easy it is to navigate. This program utilizes a webcam with your computer to make it work. You do not have to go out your way to purchase fancy targets for practicing within your home, or students you may instruct. Along with what is sent in the package, I made a few targets from cardboard and some spray paint. Another creation from me was putting three circles the size of a quarter on a piece of blank paper and gave them all different colors. There are many avenues you can go with your imagination to get more than complete training value with this combination. It took me about 30 minutes to get a complete understanding of the baseline of the program, but after I got the hang of it, the fun started. Now I combine both my favorite dry fire drill with a real firearm and an empty casing on the front sight post, and the multiple drills this program offers. Right now I use three 1/6 IPSC targets, two 1/6 popper targets, and the three quarter circles I made and let the program call it out for me. Countless hours of training, but then again I am the one who pushes myself to get better every day. 

This is a training aid I see that can be resourceful when teaching students who do not understand the principle of sight alignment. This tool can have you discover mistakes students are making at a much faster rate as well. Along with everything associated with the program and the physical structure of this training tool, you can also incorporate magazine changes. For the ones who already have a Glock 17 you can use your magazines and train, and your gear can work with this training firearm as well. Like I said many opportunities to get your necessary training needs at home or where ever you like to set up shop. There is a forum that is associated with speaking with others who have this equipment to get new ideas or just ask general questions. My first encounter was on Facebook, and when I had a question I was surprised how fast I got a reply. The team at L.A.S.R. is all about their product, and I see why.  

In conclusion, this is a training aid that can save you money from discovering your mistakes with live rounds. You can also encompass this with your family to ensure gun safety with both firing and handling. Overall we at M-W Tactical will be using the S.I.R.T. training handgun and the L.A.S.R. program with future classes to express the importance of the fundamentals of the handgun.   

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